


Project Libitina: After Escape.

by Twixster



Series: PL [2]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Don't ask me what ID is, Human Experimentation, I won't tell you, Mild Gore, The real fun will start in ID, Yo this is filler, project libitina - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-03-31 23:53:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13985985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twixster/pseuds/Twixster
Summary: They're out, but that doesn't mean they're safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Sayori's POV**

 

Wh-Why is it so cold here…? All the time. It hurts so much. I don’t like it here anymore. Can someone just put a bullet through my head?

 

…

 

No, the guards only do that with the most useless people.

 

I don’t like it. Someone get me out of here. Gah, why does it rain almost EVERY NIGHT here? It just makes it so much colder…

 

Mr Cow? Mr Cow, where did you go?

 

I saw him across the room, sitting besides mama’s music box in the moonlight.

 

“G-G-Geez, Mr Cow. You scared me for a second.” I whispered to Mr Cow. Mr Cow won’t ever leave me, because he’s my best friend. The last time I let someone touch him…

 

_I don’t want to think about monsters._

 

I crawled over to Mr Cow, grabbing him by his arm and scooting back into the corner where it wasn’t freezing. I held him close, keeping him warm. I brought my legs up, covering my face and trying not to cry.

 

 _”Sayori, please don’t cry! I’m here for you!”_  Said Mr Cow.

 

“Oh Mr Cow, I knew you’d be there for me.” I snuggled Mr Cow close to me. I felt my eyes start to close as my body went limp.  _Maybe some sleep will help me tonight…_

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

**_BOOOOOOM._ **

 

My eyes rocketed forward, hearing the sound of a large explosion. I yelped, dropping Mr Cow on the floor. The sounds of frantic footsteps and yelling were heard outside my room, people shouting commands that I didn’t understand. Suddenly, loud gunshots ricocheted off my door and groans of pain were heard, along with dead silence. Sirens started to go off, making my room flash with red. My head was disoriented and fuzzy, but another explosion went off right next to my room, making my ears ring and smoke start to arise in my room. I coughed weakly, starting to scoot towards the back corner of the room away from the smoke. It stinged my eyes, making them water. Mr Cow was still in my arms, slightly shaking. I was trembling. Who was there? No more monsters…

A single figure walked into the room, wearing a sash of explosives. A gun was in their hands, and their face was caked in dust and…  _was that blood?_

I instinctively moved backwards. This person was going to  _hurt_  me, I knew it.

 

Yet why was everything so calm?

 

The person had their hair tied into a ponytail. I could see their eyes. They were a bright emerald green.  _Wait a second…_

“A-Aren’t you that nurse I saw yesterday?” I asked the figure. She was really nice to me. She was the only adult to smile at me.

I was right. There was that same sweet smile. She looked down at me with a frantic look, but I could still see it.

 

“Yes, now listen to me. I’m going to get you out of here.”

 

Is this what heaven is like?

 

Time seemed to stop. No more monsters… No more tests… No more of that god forsaken “Third Eye.”

 

I was still scared. I didn’t trust her. Another test…

 

She held out her hand to me.

 

“C’mon, we need to hurry.”

 

I scooted myself into the corner, shaking my head and whining.

 

"I-I..." I pressed my hands over my head. She's not nice! Sh-She's one of them! I can't trust her! I can't trust  _ANYONE!_

 

She was here to hurt me.

 

"What's your name, kid?" I widened my eyes.  _Wait..._ _My name? Doctors don't ask our names... No one does..._

 

"S-Sayori..." I grabbed her hand and pulled myself into her arms, crying softly into her shoulder.

**“God bless you.”**

 

We ran out of the room, my music box in my hands with Mr Cow protecting me and the angel-I mean nurse! Running in front of me. Mr Cow was in my arms.

 

Bullets peppered the walls right next to me. There… There was the exit.

 

Tears escaped my eyes.  _I’m free… Finally, Greyson. I can... I can see you again._

 

A violent explosion sent the nurse and I flying forwards, crashing through the front doors and tumbling into the parking lot. My uniform was smoking, and I felt like I was being crushed. But someone picked me up, moving me towards a car.  _wait, who is this guy?_  I started to panic and hit the person carrying me, trying to break free. But then I realized something.

“MR COW! NO!”

 

Mr Cow was sitting in the rain, muddy and alone. I  _refused_  to leave him. Biting the person’s arm, they yelped in pain, releasing me. I limped towards Mr Cow, ignoring the frantic shouts coming from the people behind me.

 

“Kid! Stop!”

 

“Leave the cow!”

 

No! I’m not leaving Mr Cow. I grabbed his soaked fur and the music box, and started moving back to their car.

 

_Pop!_

 

I fell to the floor as a searing pain went through my right arm, right by my shoulder. I cried out in agony as I hit the dirt again.  _I’m NOT giving up. Not after all of this..._

I started crawling to the car, my head telling me to stop moving. The nurse got out of the car and picked me up, ignoring the explosions and gunshots that were being shot at me. She scooped me up and threw me into the back of their car, and into the laps of two other people. The driver sped off and I heard the bullets hit the metal. But we still sped off, leaving hell behind.

 

I started to cry. This is  _real._  I’m out. I’m free…

 

“Th-Thank you.” I cried to the two people in front. “Thank you so much…” I rubbed the bullet wound. It ached like hell, but other emotions overwhelmed me. I'm free.

I could hear two other girls crying too. Wait, I forgot! Other people were in this car too! I looked up at the faces of the girls.

 

Oh.

 

_Oh no._

 

One of them was that pink haired girl that I was forced to hurt. I had to hurt her or else I’d die. I shivered at that. She looked so happy. Her face was still disgruntled and broken, bruises covering her eye.

 

The other girl…

 

**_Her…_ **

 

She looked down at me in shock. I grabbed Mr Cow to protect him from the person who hurt me, hurt Mr Cow, and now she was free? I shook my head, lifting myself off the two and sitting down comfortably in a seat.

 

That’s when I noticed Mr Cow.

 

His leg…

 

_Where’s his leg?_

 

“M-Mr Cow! No!” I cried, squeezing him tight and crying. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to leave you.”

The nurse looked back at me with sympathy.

 

“Oh jeez… Is he hurt?” I nodded. She leaned forward to grab something from the front seat. She popped back up with a new stuffed animal.

“Aha! Here we are! I may not be any good at repairing stuff, but I do have other things!” She handed me the new friend. It was a bird with green feathers and a silly top hat. His eyes were wide and goofy and his beak was huge.

 

“Wh-What’s his name?” I asked the nurse.

 

“Well, I thought maybe you could come up with one! It’s yours, after all.” I gasped.  _Mine?_  This is mine?

“REALLY?” I shouted. She nodded and I hugged the bird tightly. Sure, Mr Cow was great, but this was the first thing that anyone has ever given me since I was out of hell itself. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!” I squealed.

“Thank you Ms…” I stopped. I didn’t even know her name.

 

“Oh, you can just call me Monika.”  _Monika…_

 

“That’s a nice name!”

She smiled at me again.

 

I was the one to mostly talk as we sped away from our torturers, them following far behind.

 

I guess this is my family now…?

 

...

 

I like it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsuki feels off.

Natsuki's Point Of View

The gravel under our car crackled as MC parked the car to a halt in front of the abandoned clearing. The building we stopped at looked old and disheveled as all hell. Some of the windows were cracked or missing, and the eerie feeling of the similarities obviously didn’t help me.

“Hey, MC? Could we uh… Possibly stop somewhere nicer? I mean, this is great but uh… it’s creeping me out.” MC shook his head. He pulled his keys out of the ignition and the car powered off.

“No can do Nat. Sorry, but if we go any further we’re gonna be found out.” Everyone got out of the car, leaving me sitting alone in the middle seat.  _Geez, I can’t be the only one to feel off…_

Regardless, I got out of the vehicle and looked up at the office building once more. I couldn’t help but feel as something was  _seriously_  off about this place, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Monika snapped me back into reality as she waved at me.

“Natsuki, I’ll need some help cooking! Come on!” All of my worries washed away as she smiled warmly. I remembered the time she cooked soup out of nothing but a campfire, a small bowl and some stuff found in the nearby forest. It still tasted like the best meal ever. I mean, it was  _Monika_  for christ’s sake. She can make the stale bread I got when I was a subject taste good. I caught up to her, taking some of the supplies out of her hands and walking inside the abandoned shelter. I looked behind me into the glass door once more.

A feeling of dread sailed over me as I looked out at our car.

We ended up setting up camp in one of the main offices on the top floor. It had a large window on the ceiling, letting light in from the top, illuminating one small area in the middle. Sayori grabbed some sleeping bags out of her backpack and set them on the floor, humming and making sure they were nice and neat. Yuri went with MC to make sure the area was clear for us, so the two were going to be gone for a little while. I helped Monika set up a functioning kitchen system next to one of the outlets. She plugged in a small rice cooker and I got out the bag full of food, pulling out some bottles of water and the rice. I also grabbed a bag of leftover chicken from last night, putting it next to Monika. The chicken was going to be cold, but I wasn’t complaining. Any food is a pleasure.

Within minutes, we had everything situated and were laying down on our sleeping bags. Feeling awkward, I started a conversation with Sayori.

“Sayo, did you ever shoot one of the cult-bastards? I gotta say, it’s even better than running from em’ sometimes, haha.” Sayori shook her head.

“Natsuki, you and I both know that I’ve shot down at least ten of them.” she giggled. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my glock 29, gripping the handle.

“Oh puh-lease.  _The Nemesis_  alone has doubled your kill count!” I chuckled.

“Natsuki, you named your gun after your 5th star?”

“Hell yeah! Nemesis shall be AVENGED!” I yelled, pointing the gun towards the ceiling. She was right, after all. The gods I named when in their chamber of madness are looking down at me and smiling, I’m sure about it. The cultist-fuckers have their third-eye bullshit, and I have the stars!

Chiru’s pretty proud of me, considering I’ve avenged freedom.

Fallon, the 2nd star is satisfied of the family I’ve grown.

Rafael, the 3rd star is proud of the progress I’ve made to care for myself ever since I left.

With each shot  _The Nemesis_  took, Patience, the 4th star was slowly becoming satisfied with each of the suffering the guards took.

And Nemesis was the last star, the one I named my gun after.

I looked off to the side, watching some of the shadows loom in closer as the sun went down. I found myself staring into one specific spot, watching the shadow loom over the corner.  _Wait, is that-_

“Hey, Nat? Spacing out there.” Monika waved her hand in my face. I blinked, noticing the bag of food hovering in my face. I snatched it, sticking my hand in and eating up bits of rice and cold chicken. It tasted  _delicious._  Was I really spacing out for an entire minute? Jeez.

“Monika, you never shease to amashe me wiff your cooking.” I said with a mouthful of food. Monika laughed and hid her mouth behind her hand.

“Natsuki, finish your food.” she giggled. Sayori grabbed a spoon out of Mr Cow and began eating her plastic bag of food.

“Plus this isn’t as good as some of the food I’ve made in the past. This one is cold, and in a plastic bag. It’s all I could come up with today. Maybe once we’re in the clear I’ll bring you two into town to buy some more supplies.” Sayori’s eyes lit up and her smile got even wider.

“Oh my gosh, really? I’ve been wanting to do that forever, Mon!” Sayori piped up. Monika smiled and pulled out her own bag. She grabbed the walkie talkie from off of her belt and frowned.

“Shouldn’t those two be back by now? It’s not like this place is all that huge, right?” I realized that MC and Yuri weren’t back. I started to get that incredibly uneasy feeling again. My stomach felt queasy and I put my food bag down.

“Try contacting them. M-Maybe they’re just stuck somewhere.” Monika nodded and pressed the record button.

“Den mother to Rubber Goose, I repeat, Den Mother to Rubber Goose, over.” I giggled at the codenames that we decided on yesterday.

_Silence._

I stopped laughing.

A bead of sweat formed on my brow. Sayori gulped and Monika squinted her eyes at the walkie-talkie.

“MC, it’s Monnie. Where are you two?” she said in a more serious tone. The three of us awaited in tense silence.

_Silence._

…

The walkie talkie buzzed as a communication came in from the other side. Sayori and I leaned into Monika, listening in intently.

Small groans and shifted were heard. The voices that came through were frantic and screaming in thousands of different tones.

I swear I could hear pleads for help. Cries, endless cries for someone to help…

I snatched the walkie right out of Monika’s hands and threw it against the wall, hearing it crack and sparks flying as the walkie broke. The voices echoed in my head, hearing the moans and pain.

I shot up and walked over to the hallway to vomit. Monika looked at me in slight shock.

“Natsuki, what- Wait! Where are you going?” She asked. I stopped, turning to her. My stomach groaned.

“I-I just need to take a breather. The um… walkie talkie is broken. Sorry.” I turned away and walked out of the room and into the hallway. The walls felt like they were closing in as I stumbled, clutching my chest. That feeling of dread make my legs heavy. I barely made it into a separate room without collapsing. I gripped my hands on a medical bed, trying to stop my spinning head.  _What the fuck was that? Where’s MC and Yuri?_  My mind was racing. We shouldn’t have come here.

Wait a second, medical bed? This is an office…

I looked down at the bed. It was the same as the bed they used to…

No. I don’t want to start up another seizure.

Anyways, I looked around the room. It was a smaller office building, with one window on the wall illuminating the room. Yet it looked like…

The panic grew even bigger. My breathing got heavy as I realized what this room looked like. The memories flooded back into my brain.

_”Hey, shoot her to keep her quiet!”_

_”Doctor, where is the incision going?”_

_..._

_”It really doesn’t matter. If she dies, she dies. We didn’t keep the useless brat because she was connected to the third eye, remember?”_

“N-N-No… No…” I gasped, stumbling backward. “This-Who-What…” I looked at the nearby doctor’s desk. There was a single clipboard and a paper full of notes on it. I picked up the clipboard, trying to see through my eyes full of tears.

MONTHLY EXAMINATION REPORT July 20, 2018

====SUBJECT INFO

 

Name                                                                 Subject 12 A

DOB                                                                   01/05/2001

Sex                                                                          N/A

Age                                                                           18

Height                                                                       93

Weight                                                                     321

Wing                                                                       LAB B

Room                                                                       211

* * *

Significance Level (001-100)                                       32

* * *

====SUBJECT NOTES

Last Updated 12/05/2003

* * *

As of December 5th, 2003, all personnel are forbidden from editing this field.

 

All previous subject notes have been erased permanently.  
Addendum: Introducing bias during testing as a result of personal attachment to the subject will henceforth be punished by death.

* * *

====PHYSICAL RESULTS

 

BMI                                                                        N/A

HR                                                                          N/A

SP                                                                          203

DP                                                                          N/A

TMP                                                                        N/A

* * *

Eyes                                                                      Blank

Ears                                                                      Normal

Teeth                                                                    Rotten

Genitals                                                                  N/A

Pain tolerance (01-10)                                              10

 

====PHYSICAL NOTES

Last Updated 5/20/2018

* * *

The following occasional behaviors have been noted and should be ignored in  
future examinations:

 

Constant cries; screaming; harm to examiner; climbing walls; loss of limbs;

 

Lost limbs must be reattached immediately.

* * *

====TEST RESULTS

 

Physical Response Test                                               100                                          PASSED

Emotional Response Test                                            100                                          PASSED

Physical Control Test                                                   32                                            FAILED

Emotional Control Test                                                22                                            FAILED

 

 

Sexual Response Test                                                 N/A                                             N/A

 

Minor Threat Response Test                                        100                                           PASSED

Minor Threat Elimination Test                                      100                                           PASSED

Life Threat Response Test                                           100                                           PASSED

Life Threat Elimination Test                                         100                                           PASSED

 

====TEST NOTES

Last Updated 05/20/2018

* * *

Sexual Response Test is not to be bypassed under any circumstances.

Subject 12 A is falling apart. The skin has mostly decomposed as of last year, and you still want to keep it?

 

_Yes. The two must atone for their stray from the third eye._

But doctor, the two are clashing personalities. They hurt each other. They try to split. When will this become too much? When will this place become unstable? When will the subjects become too much for us to handle?

 

_Then let this place become abandoned._

 

I see.

* * *

END OF REPORT

I dropped the clipboard on the floor.  _This place is another EXPERIMENT CAMP?_

We need to go.  _Now._

I sprinted back to our camp, trying to forget the splitting headache and rapidly beating heart.

I burst through the door, looking at Monika and Sayori in shock.

“Monika, Sayori we need to-” I stopped.

…

_Where is Monika and Sayori?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of two.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsuki vs FUCKING NIGHTMARES THEMSELVES

**Natsuki's POV**

 

My heart pounded out of my chest as I looked at the empty room.

I examined the area, trying to find some sort of a clue as to where they were. The scene was if they never even left, the walkie in the same corner where I threw it. The bags of food sat right next to their sleeping bags.

Maybe they went to go find Yuri and MC…

Yeah. That’s what I wanna hear right now.

But what the hell was that clipboard.  _Loss of limbs?_

I swallowed.

Sayori’s cow backpack was still here. She would  _never_  leave Mr Cow…

Okay, Natsuki. No need to think about that right now. Your head hurts as much as it is.  _Focus on the task at hand…_

I grabbed Mr Cow, rummaging through the pockets until I found it…

Aha! Here it is!

I slung Mr Cow over my shoulders and turned the flashlight on. I flipped my hoodie over my head and snuck through the corridors, going into each room cautiously.

Each room was the same with blood  _everywhere_  and the same medical bed…

I snuck out of the next room, keeping my right hand hovered over  _The Nemesis_  at all times. The hallways were filled with an eerie silence, as I was weightless against the concrete floor.

I heard a sudden creak and slithering behind me. I whipped around, shaking the flashlight at the noise. I pointed my pistol right at the direction of the sound.

There was a…  _snake?_  a  _red snake..?_  it slithered into a nearby room, but it didn’t seem to notice me. I turned off the flashlight and closed my eyes.

_C’mon Suki… Breath. Just breath. They need you. You gotta be the hero here._

I smiled at the sight of my heroics saving them from whatever was in that room.

Taking a deep breath in, I brandished Nemesis.

Nearing the room, I heard those same cries. My heart started going crazy again, and suddenly I couldn’t move. Those voices… They sound so hurt… They hurt them… They hurt  _me…_

_Natsuki, breath._

I dove into the room, hiding myself behind an office desk. I pulled Nemesis close to my face, holding it with two hands. My finger trembling over the trigger. I poked my head over the office table. I shot back down, resisting the urge to vomit.

Well, there they were.

Luckily they were only unconscious, dangling lifelessly on the ceiling. What held them made my stomach do a 180 flip.

They dangled by layers of tendons and muscle tissue woven together by stitching. Bone marrow was visible, sticking out of some of the tendons. The limbs tied them up, leaving them immobile even if they awoke.

The head to this beast wasn’t here.

_Where was it?_

I heard a gasp emerge from Monika. She looked around dazed and confused as her eyes adjusted to the setting. When she did her eyes widened and she started to struggle, grunting and kicking. I stood up, looking Monika dead in the eyes. She seemed to get exactly what I was saying.

_Don’t move. I’m getting you out of here._

She stopped struggling and I went closer, inspecting the muscles that kept them up there.

Suddenly, Monika gasped.

“N-Nat, get out-” She rasped, the limb constricting tighter around her. The entire room shook as the beast returned. I hid back behind my office desk and peeked over the table to see the head of the monster.

Sorry, did I say head? I meant  _heads._

There was at least 10 of them, connected together by tendons and some remaining skin. One of the heads dripped rabid fluid on the floor, snarling and shaking. Another two heads were merging together, grunting in sheer pain and trying to disconnect. They were bound by the skin. One of the heads was upside down, looking quite blue and chanting something I could barely make out.

_”Get out of my head.”_

My head started to feel woozy again, but I shook it off.  _They need me._

It smelled like someone put a thousand of the dead guards in one room.

The heads lifted closer to Monika, shifting the entire room around. Monika tried moving away, but the tendons kept her steady in place. She turned her head away from the beast, gagging and coughing.

“yOu think yoU caN JusT waLk in herE unChecked?” Ten voices whispered at once. Monika shook her head profusely.

“W-Well of course not! And if you let me and my friends go, we WON’T bother you again. Sound oka-GAH!” She grunted in pain as the veins constricted even tighter.

“yoU DOn’T eVEn know tHe h _A_ lf of iT…” I shifted, grabbing my gun and loaded it. A thousand of different scenarios flashed in my mind as I constructed my plan. I rolled to the side, taking cover behind one of the swivel chairs.

“H-H-Hey…” Monika gasped. “Maybe we can t-talk about this?” The voices screamed, shaking the room and making me drop Nemesis. Panicked, I quickly snatched it back up, looking up at Monika. The vein was practically crushing her. There was now a tendon over her mouth, gagging her. She yelled into the muscle, kicking around and trying to free herself. The beast laughed at her futile attempt.  _C’mon, just one more bullet…_

I whipped my head around, aiming Nemesis right at one of the heads. The bullet shot out before the monster could react. My ear started to ring as the monster growled in pain. I looked back up again.

There was no bullet hole. Just one really tall,  _really angry_  test subject.

My smile faltered as I took a shaky step back.

“H-Hey there pal…”

I turned away and sprinted out of the room and into the hallway, paying no attention to the sounds of voices getting closer by the millisecond. I ducked into another room, hearing the massive slithering and groans rush past me. I sighed in relief.

They stopped.

My panic arose as the amalgamation of hands reached towards me. The heads peeked around the corner and I stumbled backwards, cornering myself. The heads smiled and drew closer, their skin peeling and stretching. The lifeless eyes stared through me as one head came even closer. The man had black voids for eyes, making me freeze in place. The jaw was gone, and what was replaced was a green, slimy mess of veins snaking towards me.

_This is it,_

_congrats Natsuki. You fucked up bad._

I closed my eyes, waiting for impending doom.

…

“W-WaIt! stOP!” a woman’s voice groaned. All heads stopped to look at her. The head snaked upwards towards me. The face was melted off, dripping on the floor. Her hair was pink, and she looked very starved and pale.

“wH-wHat IS yOUR namE?” she whispered. I gulped and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

“N-Natsuki.” I squeaked. The woman looked at me in shock, eying my body up and down.

“sO yOu DiD maKe it AfTer alL…”  _What is this woman saying?_  Another head yelled in anger.

“sHUT up, yOu uSeLesS bRaT!” he yelled at the other head. The head only furrowed it’s head in confidence.

“yOu DO NOT c _On_ trol thiS anyMOre!” She roared in defiance. The man’s head screamed as it shrunk down into the mess of limbs, disappearing. She looked down at me and smiled.

“yOu wiLl go Far, mY nAtSUki. I wIll alWaYs lOVe you rEgArDLess of wHo I aM.” I heard a groan from one of the other rooms along with a yell and some curses.

“tAke cArE oF tHEm. eNd tHis MadNess. gEt Out oF heRE.” The amalgamation slipped out of the room.

It took me a moment to calm down and walk back to the room where everyone else was. I kept Nemesis close. Monika was clutching her arm, writhing in pain on the floor. I ran to her, kneeling down and turning her over.

“Monika? Are you okay?” I asked. She nodded and winced.

“Y-Yeah,” her voice cracked. “I think it’s broken though.” I looked at her arm.

“Here, I’ll help you up.” I picked Monika up, moving down the stairs as quickly as I possibly could.

“Natsuki? What the fuck was that?” I shrugged.

“I can’t answer that, I don’t know either. All I know is that this place is another cult camp, and we need to get the fuck out of here.” Monika nodded. It was difficult, but I sat Monika in the front seat of our car and buckled her in. I grabbed some painkillers and water out of Sayori’s pack and tossed them in Monika’s lap.

“Take some of these while I get the others, okay?” She hummed in agreement and I ran back inside.

There was no sign of that experiment again. It was still here, watching me. I was sure about it. Something about those two heads seemed more familiar than what I realized. I was still confused over the situation, but the thing  _spared_  me.

Whatever, I’m definitely not complaining.

I grabbed all the supplies out of our office camp and stuffed them in Mr Cow. Then I went back to the room.

MC was up, holding his head and groaning. I ran over to him and he looked up at me, extremely disoriented. He furrowed his eyebrows at me.

“Natsuki, one moment Yuri and I were-”

“Yep.”

“But then we-”

“I know. We’re leaving now. I really don’t feel like explaining it at the moment. Grab Yuri and follow me." I picked up the snoring Sayori, and she groaned in pain.  _Not her too…_  We great struggle, I got MC and everyone else back in the car. Monika was passed out in the front seat. I gently placed Sayori in the back and dropped Mr Cow next to her. She grabbed the backpack, snuggling into it and yawning. MC plopped Yuri in the back and closed the door. I shook my head.

“Natsuki, you are  _not_  driving.”

“Uh, yeah I am. You seem super dizzy right now, and I don’t want to end up crashing.”

“Natsuki, you don’t even have a driver’s license-”

“Hey, remember that one time we had to escape some guards by hijacking their trucks? I drove one that time for an entire half hour and I didn’t crash once.”

MC went silent.

I smiled. “Good, now get in the back.  _I’m_  choosing where we camp out this time.”

I got in the car and placed the keys in the ignition. It roared to life, the engine purring softly. I backed us out of the parking lot and out of the forest successfully.  _So far so good…_

It was getting late and everyone was still asleep in the car. My eyelids were getting heavy. The stars were out. I looked over to the hills besides the roads and smiled.

Parking in the grass far off from the road, I got out of the car and grabbed some stuff out of the trunk.  _A sleeping bag, M16, lighter, firewood… Perfect._

I set up my own mini camp next to the car, watching the five stars streak across the sky right above me. I couldn’t sleep without seeing them. I shivered as I remembered the first night they tried to get me to sleep without the stars somewhere near me.

I also shivered at the thought of that tortured mess of limbs.

Those scientists… They deserve to burn.  _And I thought we had it horrible…_  Those people were probably cut up and sewn together in full consciousness.

_Natsuki, get some sleep. You got a long day ahead of you tomorrow._

I shut my eyes, the sleepiness getting the best of me.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made by an AWESOME fan, u/DakuTT on Reddit! https://redd.it/856c23


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is caught by the Police.

The entire car ride back to camp was filled with tense silence. No one dared to speak of what just happened.

The cars trailed behind them whilst MC swerved and cursed. Monika looked behind them to see two cars and a large truck in tow. Yuri and Natsuki held on for dear life as MC skid onto a side road where only one car could follow. The truck over rotated and fell, blocking up the highway and making quite a few people pissed off. The cars came to a halt. The passengers got out of their cars to have a little  _chat_  with the truck driver.

Meanwhile, the car tried to ram MC in, speeding up to catch up with him. Sayori scowled. She jumped up from her sitting position in her seat, poking her head out the window with a gun in hand. Monika grabbed her by the hand and jerked her back inside the car.

“SAYORI, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT PUTTING YOUR HEAD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW?” She screamed. Sayori flinched.

“I-I’m sorry Monnie… They’re just…” Monika couldn’t help but feel sad for Sayori. She sniffled and held Mr Cow close.

“Sayori, I just…. I don’t want you to get hurt, okay? Thank you for helping us.” Sayori nodded slowly. MC grunted as he stepped on the gas.

“Well?” asked MC. “Did she do any damage?” Monika looked behind her to see a car smoking on the side of the road. She turned around quickly and nodded.

Then the sirens went off.

“Oh shit…” MC pulled to the side of the road as the officer pulled him over. He looked back to the girls in the back. “Hide any sort of blood. Put these on.” He pointed to a folded pile of hoodies on the floor. Sayori grabbed them and handed it out to Natsuki and Yuri. Sayori wore a baby blue hoodie, Natsuki wore a hot pink hoodie, and Yuri wore a dark purple one. Monika and MC were fine considering they didn’t have as many cuts or bruises.

MC looked up at the officer sheepishly.

“Officer! I’m so sorry about the speeding, I really am!” The officer shook his head.

“Sir, I’m not here for that. I’m here because someone called for obstruction of property and disturbance to the area.” MC faltered.

“Wait, wha-”

“Step out of the car with your hands above your head.” MC looked back at Monika, who was just as scared and confused. Sayori looked back and forth between the cop and MC. “The wife too.” Monika looked even more confused.

“Sir, I’m not his wi-”

“Step out of the vehicle with your hands above your head, ma’am. The children will be fine.” MC huffed and walked stepped out of the vehicle with his hands raised. Monika did the same. Natsuki looked at Sayori, who looked like she was about to pass out with fear.

“Nat, where are they gonna go?” Natsuki shook her head.

“I don’t know Sayori. I don’t know.” Sayori pulled Natsuki’s trembling figure close to her own. Yuri looked down at the two and sighed.

The officer put cuffs on their wrists and put them into the back of his squad car. He came to the car and looked down at the girls sweetly.

“Don’t worry kids, I’m just gonna bring them in for questioning.” His eyes lit up like he remembered something. “Do any of you kids know what happened?” Sayori looked back and forth between Yuri and Natsuki, who stayed dead silent.

“I-I… I dropped my friend! On the side of the road. I couldn’t leave him, so Monnie tr-tried to get it for me.” She held up Mr Cow to the officer and his eyes welled with pain and sadness.

“O-Oh… I see…” He looked down at the cow like it was the last remembrance of a loved one. “He looks nice…”

“Y-Yeah! He protects me.” She pulled the cow close and hugged him. The officer stayed silent. Yuri and Natsuki exchanged glances warily.

“...Could I possibly… Get your name? F-For investigative purposes.” Sayori looked at Natsuki nervously, then back at the grey-haired officer.

“U-Um…” She looked at Monika in the other car. “Elyssa. Elyssa Harriet.” How she came up with that first name, Sayori didn’t know. She looked back up at the Officer’s blue eyes. They were stormy and full of long-lost rage.

 _“Harriet, you say?”_  Sayori laughed sheepishly.

“Y-Yeah, Harriet. Is there a problem with that?” The officer regained himself and apologized.

“No no, sorry. Just thinking of a long lost rival. Thank you, Elyssa.” Sayori nodded quickly.

“N-No prob, Bob!” The officer chuckled. He walked back to his cop car.

He started to open the door, and that’s when MC struck. The door flew open, knocking him to the ground. He started to get up, reaching for his gun, but MC was already on him, grabbing his gun hand in a death grip with his left, smashing him in the face with his right, once, twice, three times. The officer groaned in pain, and MC shot his right hand deep under the officer’s collar, palm up,across his neck, holding on tight, then did the same with his left hand, palm down this time, making an X in a textbook collar choke.

He closed the X and leaned in, applying pressure to the major blood vessels at the sides of the neck. The officer kicked and struggled, trying to pry MC’s hands off, but it didn’t work. He was unconscious after ten seconds.

“Monnie, cuffs, now,” MC said, in a voice too calm for what Sayori had just seen. She tossed them to him, and MC quickly cuffed the officer’s hands behind his back and propped him up against the side of the car. The officer jerked awake, struggling, but metal beat human muscle like it always did. “Am I gonna have to choke you out again?” MC asked, in that same dead-even voice, and the officer stopped. “I’m sorry about this, but I’ve got to end a cult.” He stopped.  _Shit…_  “Welp, now you know who I am.”

“Yeah!” the officer exclaimed. “You’re that Special Forces guy!” MC nodded. “Now I know where I remember you from. That FBI APB… And that means–”

He looked at Sayori, and his face changed. “She’s…”

“Yeah,” he said. “She is.”

“Okay…” the officer said. “Guess you’ll have to knock me out again.”

“Yep,” MC said. “Nose or jaw?”

“Jaw,” the officer answered. MC hauled back and smashed him across the face. The cop went out like a light. MC started patting the officer down, taking his gun and spare ammunition, baton, and something else that he quickly put back. “Go time, Monnie,” he said, and Monika leapt out of the squad car and raced back to the car Sayori was standing by.

MC walked back to the car and back to a traumatized Sayori, who Monika was herding back into the car. She looked up at MC in disbelief.

“MC, what the hell? He was nice…”

“Yeah, and if we were nice to him, we wouldn’t be here right now. You’d be alone.” Sayori looked back at the officer. MC got in the car and sped off.

It was tense the entire ride home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, sorry for being gone for so dang long! I had some time off...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monika takes Sayori and Natsuki to the store.

“Okay, so keep quiet. We can’t cause any commotion like last time.” Sayori and Natsuki nodded in unison as Monika parked the car. They walked inside the market and looked around. Sayori beamed and sprinted down the hallway. Natsuki walked over to the produce section and eyed a selection of spices.

“WOOOOAH! WHAT’S THIS? AND THIS? OOH, WHAT ABOUT THIS ONE MONNIE?” Monika grabbed her wrist and put a finger over her mouth.

“Shhh. Keep it down please. I’ll show you around later.” They walked over to Natsuki, who was eying a bottle of saffron.

“Mon, why don’t you get any of these? This would  _definitely_  make your dishes ten times better!” Monika shook her head.

“Too much money, Nat.” Natsuki pouted.

“Aw, b-but-”

“And no means no. We’re here to get what we came for.” She waved at the paper in her hand towards Natsuki’s face. She groaned like a kid wanting candy. Monika grabbed a shopping cart and they went on with their agenda.

Of course, they had to just  _pass by_  the toy section.

Sayori paused once she noticed the vibrant colors leading off to other aisles. She turned and looked up at the shelves upon shelves of stuffed animals and other knick knacks. Monika looked back at Sayori and winced. Her eyes lit up at the sight of it, mouth wide open. So Monika stopped and gestured her to take a look.

“Go ahead,” said Monika. “Whatever. I’ll be around, okay? Natsuki and I are gonna go and get the supplies.” Sayori nodded, darting down the aisles with childlike wonder. Mr Cow was still in her backpack. She took him out and showed him all the aisles of stuffed animals similar to him.

“Mr Cow, look! Look at all the other animals here!” She grabbed a teddy bear off the shelf and set it down on the floor.

She was easily occupied, with Mr Cow having conversations with basically  _every_  stuffed toy there.

Monika and Natsuki went by the baking/bread section, right next to the cakes. Monika had to get a couple of loaves, and she sent Natsuki to get a cupcake for MC’s upcoming birthday.

She stopped at a middle-aged woman, with small napkins put on the table. There was a small slice of cake on each of the napkins. The woman looked at Natsuki and smiled, holding out a napkin with cake on it. Natsuki cautiously took it along with a fork and dug in.

It took a mere two seconds for the sugar high to kick in.

Monika saw Natsuki bolting up to her.

She practically knocked Monika over, cake crumbs and frosting all over her face.

“MONIKA MONIKA MONIKA! WE  _NEED_  TO GET MORE OF THIS!” She held out a fistful of cake and Monika stared down at the crumpled up cake in slight confusion and nervousness.

“Natsuki, how much did you eat?” Natsuki jumped up and darted away.

“NOT ENOUGH!” When Natsuki turned the corner, she could hear a loud crash and a person apologizing profusely. Monika scoffed and continued to get what she needed.

Again, she was stopped by another girl having the time of her life.

She resisted the urge to giggle once she saw Sayori struggling to keep around twenty stuffed animals in her arms, dropping the small ones on the way over. She dropped all of them to the floor in front of her and awaited Monika’s response patiently.

“Sayori, we are  _not_  getting that many stuffed animals.” Sayori whimpered and twiddled her fingers together.

“Aw, b-but Monika... Mr Cow loves them.”

“I’m sure he does.”

“B-But Monnie…” She whined like a little kid.

“Don’t  _Monnie_  me. No means no.” God, did Monika feel like a mother there… Sayori shrunk in disappointment, but nodded glumly and started to pick up some of the stuffed animals. She dragged her feet on the ground as she walked back to the toy section to put the stuffed animals away.

Monika was about done with her shopping, and all she needed to do was pay and checkout. But before that, she needed to find two rowdy five-year olds.

She found Natsuki with a fist around the collar of a terrified woman’s shirt. The woman shook her head and pleaded.

“WOMAN, I SAID I WANTED MORE SAMPLES! THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, SO GIVE ME MY CAKE, DAMNIT!” Monika ran over to the two to break up the fight. She grabbed Natsuki by the back of her shirt. Natsuki growled like a kitten and flailed around, trying to get back to her cake.

“NO! NOOOOOO! I NEED IT MONNIE, NOOOO…” Monika hid her face from embarrassment as she felt the stares of all the people in the store look directly at her. Natsuki continued to struggle. Monika pushed her cart as she moved to the toy section.

She found Sayori sitting down cross-legged on the floor, looking down glumly. Mr Cow was on the floor beside her. Monika felt like she did something wrong, but she shook it off. Her hand was getting tired, so she picked Natsuki up and placed her into the child seat the cart had. She buckled the screaming child in as best as she could. She knelt down next to Sayori and put a hand on her shoulder. Sayori looked up at her with absolute pain and sorrow, tears lining at the edge of her eyes. Monika gulped.

“M-Mr Cow just wanted a friend, Monnie…”

“I… I know that, Sayori. Why do you think I got you Mr Duck?” Monika was referring to the duck she gave Sayori the first day she was freed. She wasn’t  _nearly_  as connected to Mr Duck as she was to Mr Cow.

“B-B-But… Mr Duck is mean to Mr Cow!” Monika was so confused.  _How can a stuffed animal be mean…?_

“I assure you he’s not, Sayo…” Sayori shook her head.

“I-IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME, MONIKA!” Monika flinched at Sayori raising her voice. Then she looked to her right.

A small sheep stuffed toy, around the size of Monika’s palm.  _Only three dollars?_  She grabbed the sheep from its bottom shelf and set it gently on Sayori’s lap. Sayori looked down at the little lamb in fascination. She grabbed Mr Cow and whispered something inaudible to Monika. Her eyes lit up yet again and whispered even louder. She gasped and hugged the sheep along with Mr Cow.

“I’ll keep it!”

Monika smiled.

Natsuki was still going berserk in the child seat. The cashier looked at Monika extremely puzzled.

“Don’t ask.”

Monika paid in silence. She threw in a small something for Natsuki.

They drove away in silence. Sayori was snuggling with her new sheep. Then Monika pulled a Twix Bar out of her pocket and handed it to Natsuki, who eyed it with curiosity and hunger.

“I saw you really liked that chocolate cake from earlier, so…” Natsuki unwrapped the bar and took a large bite. She immediately got that high again, begging Monika for more. She pulled out a Snickers bar.

“You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Monika said with a giggle. Natsuki yanked the bar out of Monika’s hand and it was gone within seconds.

“Hey… I’m sure MC won’t mind…”

“You guys wanna go out for some ice cream?”

…

“What’s ice cream?”

Monika smiled evilly.

“You’ll see…”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayori has some nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! PL-AE is just a collection of little short stories with the dokis finally out of the cult's grasp. It's just character building.

* * *

Sayori's Point of View

_”Sayori, I’ll always love you. I need to go, sugar. Keep Mr Cow close to you. N-No, please let go… Mama has to go. You need to run, sugar. Run far away. Mr Cow will always protect you. I love you, Sayori. Never forget that.”_

I shot upwards with a start. My breath was rapid and heavy. Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes. I noticed myself clutching the sleeping bag tightly. Mr Cow was sitting a few feet away in the grass.

I sighed in discontent.  _These nightmares are becoming more about her._

Looking around, I saw everyone else sound asleep. The fireplace in the middle crackled and popped, sending smoke in the night sky. We had been camping out here for a few days after Natsuki mysteriously moved us from the abandoned office building. She said it was for the best, after we couldn’t find Yuri and MC.

 _”I’ll tell you later,”_  she told me.

So here we were, sitting out in the open field. The car was sitting in the background, hidden by an area of tall grass. Everyone’s sleeping bags were huddled around the open fire. Some of the leftover food we had yesterday was sitting in piles on the floor.

I curled up into a ball, sobbing softly as to not disturb anyone.

I grabbed Mr Cow and dug my hand in, looking around for the box. Maybe if I just play her song…

I pulled the music box out of the backpack and set it on the floor. I slowly wound up the crank. The box opened to reveal the small figure, spinning as the music played over the open fire. The tune played its slow melody into the night as all of my fears washed away.

_”Sayori please calm. We need to keep quiet now, we can’t let them hear you.”_

_”...”_

_”Y-You want me to sing again?”_

_”Haha…”_

_”Anything for you, my daughter.”_

I buried my face into my hands, trying to control my desperate hiccups and gasps. My face was burning up. My eyes were glossy and puffy from sobbing so hard.

I looked down at the box.

“H-Hey mama. It’s g-good to hear you again.” I whispered.

“I got to help M-Monika cook again today! Ehehe, you know how much I miss your cooking…”

...

“Y-You know, I’m glad that you were there for me. I-I heard Yuri’s p-parents just abandoned her. But don’t even get me started on Monika’s f-father…” I paused.

“Oh right, you knew him. S-Sorry about that mama…”

...

“Mr Cow? Y-Yeah, he’s been the best protector ever, mama. I really wish you could see how far I’ve come. You’d be proud of me.”

The song was coming to a close.

“I miss you m-mama… I really do…”

The song stopped as the box closed again. I held my head back into my hands.

“I love you.”

I laid back down onto my sleeping bag, staring up at the stars. A flash of light came in from the sky, streaking through the air. I smiled and wiped some tears from out of my eyes, sniffling.

“I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

My eyelids shut as I drifted off to sleep again.

I got a peaceful night of sleep. No nightmares this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey... I have almost all of PL done... do you guys just want me to spam all the way through the rest of PL-AE, then to PL-ID and then PL-DM?


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